Two-year prison sentence for theft of famous photo of frowning Churchill
By our news editors
May 27, 2025 at 12:31

A Canadian court has sentenced a man to two years in prison for the theft of a famous photograph of Winston Churchill. The judge told art thief Jeffrey Wood he stole a symbol of national pride "just for the money."
The Roaring Lion , a portrait of the then British Prime Minister, was taken by photographer Yousuf Karsh during the Second World War. Churchill frowns in the photo, which was taken shortly after his speech to the Canadian parliament in 1941. An edit of that photo is depicted on the £5 note.

The portrait disappeared from an Ottawa hotel sometime between Christmas 2021 and early 2022. It wasn't until August 2022 that hotel staff discovered the image had been replaced with a fake. Investigators learned the real photo had been sold to an unsuspecting man in Italy through a London auction house. The hotel has since gotten the work back, CBC News reports .

Before the theft, Wood had already contacted Sotheby's about the possible sale. He also wrote on social media that he was leaving Canada and called the hotel.

Wood was led away in handcuffs after the verdict. His lawyer called the sentence "overly harsh" and announced he would appeal. The lawyer had argued for community service, because Wood had a clean record and had pleaded guilty.